Adversity can teach us much about ourselves and our peers, both professionally and personally. With each passing day, we are all learning as work groups (teams) and families, where our greatest strengths and weaknesses reside. To ensure we all come out of this as better people and organizations, the key will be to determine which of our respective situations command immediate change, and which situations would benefit most from renewed vigilance and monitoring?
For example, some may have realized in the last few weeks that small businesses can run efficiently, and mission critical objectives can still be achieved outside the confines of traditional or shared office space. Alternatively, remote working may have exposed collaborative, creative, or productive vulnerabilities that justify our investments in professional offices.
I have many friends who have been quite vocal about how challenging it has been to manage their work schedule at home, rife with video conferences, when they are simultaneously tending to the needs of younger children who would be in school or daycare, if not for the current health crisis. However, once the laptops are powered down, I know they are making best possible use of this disguised blessing as evidenced by the fun (and occasionally awkward) “Tik Tok” dance videos featuring rhythm challenged fathers with their gleeful teen or preteen sons and daughters.
So many have risen to the challenge of this new (temporary) normal on multiple fronts. Daily life has never been so wrought with stress and uncertainty, but it appears we have been and continue to respond with formidable resistance. Our world will probably never be the same after we are eventually restored to health, but that may not be a bad thing!
Stay safe and sane!
We will strive to periodically provide personal viewpoints and observations authored by various Stockton teammates. The preceding was an “Op-Ed” by our own, Drew Maristch. We at Stockton would like to hear your perspectives and experiences in response. Your contribution to the discussion would be appreciated!
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